HSK 2.0 vocabulary (classic standard)
HSK 2.0 is the 2010 standard: six levels, about 5,000 words, with the level boundaries resting at 150 / 300 / 600 / 1,200 / 2,500 / 5,000 words. Almost every textbook, course and vocabulary deck made before 2022 follows these levels — and "HSK 4" in those materials means a 1,200-word list, not the larger HSK 3.0 level 4.
- Words in our list
- 4,991
- Levels
- 6
- Not in HSK 3.0
- 501
Word lists by level
Every level is paged at 20 words, with pinyin, part of speech and English meaning. Words link to their character pages, and the ones we have recordings for can be practised straight from the list.
- HSK 1 vocabulary list 150 words · 150 cumulative 8 pages
- HSK 2 vocabulary list 147 words · 297 cumulative 8 pages
- HSK 3 vocabulary list 298 words · 595 cumulative 15 pages
- HSK 4 vocabulary list 598 words · 1193 cumulative 30 pages
- HSK 5 vocabulary list 1298 words · 2491 cumulative 65 pages
- HSK 6 vocabulary list 2500 words · 4991 cumulative 125 pages
Where the classic levels sit
The level numbers overlap but do not match. Classic level 4 adds 600 words on top of level 3; HSK 3.0 level 4 sits at a cumulative 3,245 words. If you are switching between the two, start from the word count rather than the level number.
HSK 2.0 vs 3.0: full comparison and level mapping → · HSK 3.0 (current) lists →
Questions
- What is HSK 2.0?
- HSK 2.0 is the Chinese proficiency standard published in 2010 and used until the 2021 revision. It has six levels covering about 5,000 words: level 1 (150 words), level 2 (300), level 3 (600), level 4 (1,200), level 5 (2,500) and level 6 (5,000), counting cumulatively. Most textbooks and course materials still follow it.
- Is HSK 2.0 still valid?
- The classic levels are still widely used in teaching materials and by employers who list "HSK 4" or "HSK 5" as a requirement. The exam itself moved to HSK 3.0, so which list you need depends on what you are preparing for.
- How is HSK 2.0 different from HSK 3.0?
- The level numbering covers different amounts of vocabulary. Classic HSK 4 is a cumulative 1,200 words, while HSK 3.0 level 4 is a cumulative 3,245 words; HSK 3.0 also splits the top band into levels 7-9. Of the 4,991 classic words we list, 501 do not appear in the 3.0 list at all.